Fists in the Pocket: A Lost Italian Post-Neorealist Gem

It's sometimes uncommon for a person to be truly blown away by a film, especially now in the 21st century. The old adage "they just don't make them like they used to" may be a cliche, but it's hard to argue that it doesn't apply to the state of contemporary film. Often disappointment and ennui make film lovers turn to the past, or to foreign cinema. How certain old movies can grip the viewer and mystify, even stun the viewer, more than some current movies is still something that somewhat puzzles me. You have to wonder how it's possible that someone back in the 1950s could be way ahead of their time and yet someone in the early 2000s seems to have retrograded somehow, or remained stagnant (which can be worse sometimes). But I digress. Sometimes you find a hidden gem, and this time I found one in my film class.

Fists in the Pocket (I Pugni in Tasca in its native language) was made in 1965 by a young Italian director named Marco Bellocchio. Bellocchio isn't very well known outside of Italy; at least not in the sense Fellini or Rossellini, or even Pasolino (a contemporary of his), are. In making his first movie, he acquired money from different relatives to film it. Much of the film takes place in the summer house of a relative of Bellocchio, which is interesting, considering the film primarily challenges family values and filial piety. When the film first premiered, it was condemned by the Catholic Church for its irreverent approach. Although several films about dysfunctional families have been made since then, Fists in the Pocket still stands as one of the best about the subject and it is safe to say that it has withstood the test of time, as it will continue to do so. The story could be considered depressing, dark, and maybe even revolting, but it does display glimmers of black humor, which can be rather severe. There is no movie trailer on youtube, but there is one on the Criterion website through the following link: Criterion collection movie trailer. For those of you who are Spaghetti western and Morricone fans, this was the first film for which Ennio Morricone composed the score.

The story mainly centers around Alessandro (affectionately called Ale by his family), who is played by Lou Castel, a Colombian-born actor whose first major role was in this film. Alessandro is epileptic, something he feels is a burden to other people. The other two central characters are Giulia, his sister whom he has incestuous feelings for, and Augusto, the eldest brother. Their mother is blind and their younger brother is mentally challenged, and both need constant care. Ale realizes that the whole family is a hindrance and weary load to Augusto, who acts as the head of the household and a father figure. Augusto could do so much more with his life, Ale argues, if he were to be rid of them all. Ale then goes about trying to solve this problem, through very questionable and unethical means. I'm afraid I can't say any more about it because it'll reveal all the shocking and gripping qualities of the film. What I can say is that I highly recommend Fists in the Pocket, especially if you're in the mood for some intensity, compelling black and white cinematography, and absorbing acting by some great amateurs (and I don't intend this in any derogatory way). As luck would have it, the movie is on youtube in its entirety: Fists in the Pocket (1965). Sorry, I couldn't seem to embed it in my blog, so there's the link. Make sure to click on the "cc" button to view the English subtitles, unless you're completely comfortable with your Italian.

Rating: 4.5/5